First lady challenges gamers, game companies to be more active
First lady Michelle Obama wants kids to be more active, even if it’s just playing a game.
Obama announced in a speech to the National Parent Teacher Association the start of the Apps for Healthy Kids contest. In the contest, software and video game designers create games in which children can learn about nutrition facts and eating a balanced diet. Obama also stressed the importance of physical activity in the games.
“Maybe you’ve seen those dance video games or exercise games that families are playing together at home, or ones kids play using their mobile phones or home computers, those are the kinds of games we’re talking about,” Obama said in a statement released Wednesday after her speech.
Designers will be required to reference the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPyramid database in their game. MyPyramid contains more than 1,000 common foods children commonly eat.
Any person or group can submit any application for a game they make. This includes any kind of format for a game, such as an iPhone app or a more traditional computer game. Gamemakers will have from the beginning of March until the end of July to submit applications. From July to August, users will be able to view the apps on the contest’s Web site and choose winners who will recieve a total of $40,000 in prize money.